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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 31, 2018 4:03:05 GMT
Lovely photo of the Red Admiral. Last year these were so numerous, this year far fewer. Certainly my first butterflies of the year back in February.
The status of this species is complex as it's both resident but probably relays on immigration. I suspect the beast from the east polished off most of those that over-wintered here. Certainly when the results of the Big Butterfly Count are revealed it will show a big drop compared with last year's unusually high numbers.
I've had the best year in my garden for butterflies in general for several years. The whites in particular seemed to have had a bumper year. I also had a new addition to my garden list with 2 sightings of Brown Argus, six days apart- possibly the same individual?
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Post by aeshna5 on Sept 1, 2018 17:45:07 GMT
My IOD were c20 Willow Emerald Damselflies in Richmond Park with several pairs in cop.
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Post by ianr on Sept 8, 2018 8:51:03 GMT
Is this a leaf cutter or honey bee enjoying a feast ian by ian robinson, on Flickr
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Post by NellyDee on Sept 11, 2018 9:48:58 GMT
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Post by duncan74 on Sept 15, 2018 14:47:00 GMT
Ian, It's a good chance that it is a Leafcutter, the colour is right on the abdomen and the pale hair on the thorax is right, if it had golden hair on the ventral side then that would clinch it for Megachile centuncularis female. they don't have pollen baskets on their legs they gather the pollen on the hair on their underside, I did a little study of them, I will post it to let you see how the manage their lives. Duncan Bughouse 17th June 07 002 by Duncan Mclean, on Flickr
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Post by Tringa on Sept 24, 2018 15:51:20 GMT
This dragonfly, which I think is a Common Darter (though happy to be corrected) seen in Laide Wood (NW Scotland) this morning. Dave
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Post by aeshna5 on Sept 24, 2018 16:45:04 GMT
Nice photo! Yes a male Common Darter.
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Post by Tringa on Sept 25, 2018 7:47:47 GMT
Thanks for the confirmation, Aeshna.
Dave
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Post by aeshna5 on Sept 29, 2018 16:18:54 GMT
Sea Aster Mining Bee on its favoured nectar plant. I had hoped to find Rambur's Pied Shieldbug on the Black Horehound as it had been recorded here in the week by another naturalist. It's a recent colonist so it would have been nice to see one or two but could only find 3 Hairy Shieldbugs, a common but attractive species, on it.
Otherwise a handful of butterflies, a male Common Dater, a dozen Migrant Hawkers + a few Field Grasshoppers.
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Post by aeshna5 on Sept 30, 2018 18:06:37 GMT
Pleasantly surprised by a nice surprise in our local country park mid morning. I spotted a colourful nymph of the Southern Green Shieldbug, Nezara viridula, sitting in the sun on the leaf of an alien bramble, Rubus laciniatus. First I've seen for a few years but apparently established in parts of London + the south.
On an adjacent part of the plant was a Harlequin larva.
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Post by duncan74 on Oct 1, 2018 16:44:19 GMT
Sitting doing the moths this morning, only 6 species, minimum night temperature was only 2.5 degrees C, and two Caddis fly was in the bottom of the trap , Limnephilus lunata, and quite a few crane flys too Duncan
Caddis Fly 1 Lymnephilus lunata by Duncan Mclean, on Flickr
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Post by aeshna5 on Oct 5, 2018 18:39:04 GMT
The sunshine brought out good numbers of dragonflies this afternoon with plenty of Migrant Hawkers + Common Darters as well as a Ruddy Darter, Southern Hawker, a couple of Common Blue + 3 Willow Emerald Damselflies.
Hornets were still hunting but the biggest spectacle was as I was leaving the park. Initially I noticed a few Harlequin Ladybirds landing + flying by the oaks near the Richmond Gate. As I exited the white building with large windows had well in excess of 100 of these beetles on them + more flying around in a mini swarm. They are often called Halloween Bugs in the US as they often appear in large numbers this time of the year + try to enter indoors which isn't so welcome!
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Post by duncan74 on Oct 8, 2018 14:18:37 GMT
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Post by aeshna5 on Oct 8, 2018 16:48:35 GMT
I know very little about caddisflies other than recognising them as a group, but they are attractive insects
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Post by aeshna5 on Oct 11, 2018 14:35:31 GMT
An Ivy Bee, Colletes hederae, on a large clump of flowering Ivy overhanging a wall by Syon Park this morning. They are smart little bees + have undergone an amazing expansion in recent years. Also a queen Bombus terrestris on the Ivy.
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